Are clinicals flexible?

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Nov 12, 2012

How do you plan on getting to clinicals?

NICU:) · Nov 12, 2012

It just depends on how flexible you are. Yes it will be possible. But clinical can be really early in the morning.. Our bus system is t even going at that time. Make friends fast. And be prepared. I honestly wouldn't be able to go without my car. As I travel all around town for clinical

pixiestudent2 · Nov 12, 2012

I ride the bus to class/clinicals. Do YOU have public transportation? A bike? Can you walk?

blt99 · Nov 12, 2012

I would say that it depends on what city you live in. I'm in Dallas at TWU and we have many locations for clinicals. Most of the hospitals in Dallas have bus/train stops pretty close, and ours run early. In that case, yes it's possible, I have friends that do it. However, the hospitals in the non-medical-center (outside of Dallas) don't have busses or trains anywhere close and a car is pretty much essential. You can make friends very quickly to establish a carpool, or beg family/friends to drive you on those days.

To answer your direct question - no clinicals are not flexible. You have to be there on time at 0630, and we have pre-clinical the night before.

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · Nov 12, 2012

If your question is, do they let you make your own hours for clinical, the answer is a definitive no.

Your faculty has to be there when you are there, and they aren't going to be working extra hours because you can't get to work.

Yes, work-- because one of the objectives of clinical time is to socialize students into the world of work in hospitals (and you thought it was just to teach you how to give shots and sink NG tubes and do other tasks, right?). A huge part of that is getting to work on time, because the nurse on the shift before you is entitled to leave on time. This is practice for that.

Figure it out.

loriangel14, RN · Nov 12, 2012

You will be fine with no car as long as you have someone that will drive you to work each day and will guarantee you will be there on time every day.Tardiness or missing a day completely will not be tolerated.

brillohead, ADN, RN · Nov 12, 2012

The only way to get an answer to this is to ask your nursing program. They'll know which hospitals/facilities they use, what time clinicals start/end, etc.

My program uses facilities spread over two counties -- you don't get to choose where you are assigned each semester, or what time you'll be assigned (clinicals start anywhere from 0700 to 1500, depending on facility / instructor / class).

But no, clinicals are not, in general, flexible around your schedule. YOU have to be flexible, not the program.

buttercupp85 · Nov 12, 2012

You know, I had the same exact worry this summer. I was about to start my nursing program with no car and I read that some of our clinical sites can be up to 45 min. Drive away! For my school, the clinical placement is based on other things, and not just preference. In fact, preference had nothing to do with it at all. However, you get to know your classmates really well and become really close. I just sent an email out to my group about carpooling together, which most people like to do anyways so everyone isn't spending a ton of money on gas. People are really nice about carpooling, at least in my school, especially if you offer to throw some gas money their way! You will totally meet people. And there's always the bus, but I haven't had to take that a lot after meeting so many friends. The only thing I would caution about the bus, is that here in my town it tends to run late. I always take the bus before to ensure I'm on time.

Good luck!

CT Pixie, BSN, RN · Nov 12, 2012

In this current semester I have clinicals at both the hospital that the school is attached to as well as at a clinical site that is a 40 minute ride from my house. (Commuting time from my home to school is under 15 minutes). There are NO buses that run from my home town to the clinical site town. Last semester all my clinicals were done at our hospital.

Clinicals flexible? Ohh about as flexible as a steel rod beam in the LPN clinicals I had done and in my current program. Many of my friends attend different nursing schools and their clinicals are just as inflexible.

My school won't even entertain any requests that certain people go to the same sites due to carpooling. You go where you are assigned..no if's and's or but's.

Having no vehicle has never been a reason for anyone I know NOT to be admitted into the nursing program. But once in, how they got to clinicals (and you HAVE to be ON TIME every day or risk failing out of the program) was their problem. The school did nothing to assist and they don't want to hear that you have no car etc and you need a close by clinical site.

FDW630 · Nov 12, 2012

To simply answer your question, NO, clinicals are not flexible. At all. Not even by 5 minutes.

All schools have different policies, but mine allows students to trade clinical sites for the term...before the first clinical. If you are assigned a site that you cannot walk/bike/mass transit to, then maybe that could be an option? We got a paper in our acceptance packet that said if transportation was an issue, our odds of being successful in the program were going to be slim. So unfortunately, your options are limited.

smatrang001 · Nov 12, 2012

Take out a student loan and buy a cheap car if you can because clinicals are early in the morning. Or make friends quick and see if you can get someone to let you catch a ride.

Good luck